A Lesson Learned
by Scaevola
Summary: On Estel's first trip to Mirkwood, he and Legolas encounter something on the way. Estel learns a lesson from the happenings while also finding something for himself.


Title: A Lesson Learned  
Author: Gnaea Scaevola  
Disclaimer: JRR Tolkien wrote everything concerning Middle Earth and the Lord of the Rings, and I am only happy to be able to pay tribute to him through fanfiction.  
A/N: This is sort of a companion to the 'Orcs and Elves' vignette I made for the orc challenge. It goes along the same lines though everything isn't the same. It's been in my head for a while, written for a while, but I only just posted it because it was used in an assignment and I wished to wait until that was completed to put it up.

At almost twenty years of age, Estel had never had never been allowed away from the grounds of Imladris without his brothers or father. It was the middle of summer, though the trees of Imladris were the brilliant colors of fall already. By now, Estel had reached almost his full height, nearly six feet tall—almost as that of the elven kind.

King Thranduil had sent a missive to Lord Elrond with a request that Legolas return to the palace immediately. Neither Legolas nor Elrond had explained the details of the letter, and Estel did not have the heart to snoop. So, now he sat on his horse looking around suspiciously at the forest around them as Legolas told tales of his home.

"And though these woods may seem to be most gloomy now, Estel, they were magnificent and full of life—Estel, are you paying attention?" Legolas paused in his lecture to look over at the human with wondering eyes. For a moment, Estel just continued looking at the forest not acknowledging that he had heard his friend. "Estel!"

Then as Legolas yelled, the young man looked up, looking over his shoulder before turning to Legolas with a frown. "Aye, I am listening, Legolas. You were speaking of the wonders of Mirkwood." _As you have been for the last hour_, Estel thought wryly.

Legolas frowned at Estel, shaking his head as he pulled on the reins of his horse before whispering in Sindarin for the stallion to make haste. Estel laughed heartily, whispering alike in Sindarin for speed to his own horse. Off they went through they went down the forest trail, Legolas unaware of the faint murmur of the dying trees because of the thunderous clap of the horses.

As the two neared a fork in the trail, the trees' wailing suddenly grew louder than the horses' hooves. Though Estel only heard the rustle of wind on the leaves, Legolas heard their frantic cries for help and abruptly stopped his horse with a tug of the reins.

Estel continued on for a distance before noticing that the elf was no longer beside him. _Where could he have gotten to,_ Estel thought with a frown as he turned his horse to retrace the path behind him. After a few minutes at a fast trot, Estel saw a flash of white to his left. Slowing his horse, he saw Legolas' stallion tied to a tree. Dismounting from his own horse, Estel led it to where Legolas' horse was tied before tying it to the same tree.

Moving over to Legolas' stallion, Estel knelt down looking at the ground intently. Nodding to himself, Estel thought, _Aye, he left his horse not long ago. His footprints are quite fresh and untrampled._ Glancing around himself before standing again, Estel began to follow the 

footprints. They led to a glade, and from about a hundred yards away, the grunts and shouts of orcs could be heard.

Drawing his sword from the sheath, Estel rushed towards the glade. As soon as he ducked through the tree branches, the human could see Legolas knee deep in dead orcs, both his knives in hand. Driving his sword into the first orc he saw, Estel drew the black-blooded beings attention as the orc screamed before falling to the ground in a growing puddle of black blood.

Though Legolas knew of his friend's presence in the fight, he made no outward movement to show he knew. _'Tis too important to finish them before they finish us,_ the elf thought with a grimace as an orc nearly hit him in the face with its hilt. _He shall be fine, Elrohir and Elladan have been good teachers_. Glancing over at his friend when he heard a scream, Legolas silently thanked Illuvatar that it was the orcs not Estel who was screaming before felling another orc with a fluid slash of his knife.

When the fighting finally drew to a close, only Legolas and Estel were left standing. Black blood covered both the elf and the human's blades. The grass they stood in was brown, dry grass and would only smear the blood. Rather than bloodying his tunic, Legolas knelt down by one of the dead orcs and wiped the blood off on the flea infested rags.

Estel just stood looking at the corpses that surrounded him, looking down at the blood that dripped from his blade. _My first battle won, yet I do not feel joyous only hollow. Is this what we truly fight for, a hollow victory over those corrupted by Morgoth's evil_, Estel thought hollowly as he turned to look at the dead who lay behind him.

"Clean your blade, Estel. It shall rust if you let the blood dry. I know this is your first time without your brothers to protect you, but you cannot just stand here after a battle and let your sword rust." Gesturing to one of the fallen orcs, Legolas finished cleaning his knives with a flick of his wrist before moving silently over to Estel.

"Ada said… Father said Morgoth corrupted elves to make orcs. That they were once of the Eldar." Still Estel stood looking at the blood on his sword, making no movements as he continued to speak. "I do not feel as I do after sparring with Master Glorfindel."

"There is no glory or honor in killing something, Estel. It should not make you feel proud, even if done for the right reasons. You should feel proud if you were able to defend others or yourself. There is honor in doing what is right. I know Lord Elrond has taught you that well."

Estel nodded slowly, kneeling beside an orc and gently wiping the blood off his blade. After both sheathed their blades, Legolas and Estel returned to their horses. Again, Legolas told proudly of the forests of Mirkwood—Greenwood as he called it. Though Estel listened, he thought of what Legolas had told him. By the time they reached the gates of Mirkwood, Estel had learned a great lesson.

_It is not ability or strength which makes me the better man, but my reasons for standing there,_ Estel thought as he followed Legolas through the gates, bowing his head politely to the guards as he passed.

_Ending note: Thank you for reading, please review if you wish I always enjoy reviews._


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